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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Did someone say Beach???

Today, my roommates and I decided we needed a day trip to the Oregon Coast.We took both of their service dogs and set off. I am sorry to say that our cameras decided to go on the fritz so we don't have pictures, rest assured this will be remedied on our next beach trip in two weeks. We, Katie and I, happened to have discovered a very sheltered small beach area a year ago where we could allow our dogs to run on the beach, play in the surf and dig to China!!! Einstein, Katie's GSD Medical Response service dog has an impeccable recall and loves to swim and play on the beach. He also has an insatiable need to herd his pack!! He decided that his girlfriend Cammy, a black lab Guide Dog needed to discover the joys on the beach. He introduced her to bounding through the shallow surf, running full tilt on the beach and rock climbing. This was all only possible because Cammy's mom (aka handler) has been working on Cammy's recall and the presence of two sighted guides, Katie and I, to make sure the dogs stayed in sight.
It is often difficult for service dog handlers to find activities that allow the dogs some real down time and the space to just be. Whether the down time is throwing the ball until they drop, taking a meandering walk with plenty of time for sniffing, going to the dog park, going to the beach, or whatever makes your service and you as a team feel rested and rejuvenated; down time is essential to maintaining a dog who is happy to work.

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